Doug MacKinlay, 42

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Doug Mackinlay's worst moments with InterFET in East Timor were fending off tropical diseases threatening soldiers in his care. As medical officer with Australia's international forces in 1999 he was acutely aware of diseases that could strike.

"These ranged from malaria to dengue hemorrhagic fever, which like the ebola virus could turn internal organs into liquid," he said.

But although he treated 150 tropical disease cases, only one Australian, a transport driver from 86th Transport Squadron died. "For morale and to avoid panic we snuck the body out before dawn in a metal Vietnam-issue coffin while others slept," he said.

He still has nightmares about helping victims after a bus crashed 25 metres down a cliff and 15 East Timorese people were brought into his Dili hospital. "It was absolutely heart-wrenching being unable to save the lives of such lovely young Timorese women," he said. No stranger to danger, he said he also "had machetes and spears shoved in my face in Bougainville" when on foot in 1998 near Loloho. "These rebels demanded independence so we agreed with them, turned around jumped back into our truck, raced off and hoped for the best."

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Enlisting in the regular army in 1981, "to do something useful for Australia", he was pleased to serve in East Timor, believing "we owed them a debt because they supported our soldiers during World War II".

He said East Timor was Australia's finest hour because of "great leadership by General Peter Cosgrove, who was adored by his troops".

Had he not quit on medical grounds the Moss Vale retiree would go to Iraq.